Syria’s Unrest Spreads in Mass Protests, At Least 14 Killed
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Date: 12/30/2011 8:53:45 AM
Sender: VOA
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Mass protests erupted in Syria Friday as activists say Syrian forces killed at least 10 people after tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators turned out across the country.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the civilians were killed when forces opened fire in the Daraa and Hama regions.
The group also says about two dozen people were injured after forces used nail bombs and tear gas on rock-throwing protesters in Douma.
Activists also say four people were killed in a government ambush near the Lebanese border.
Separately, the state-run SANA news agency says "massive crowds" of supporters of President Bashar al-Assad rallied on Friday in favor of national unity.
The pro and anti-government demonstrations were held a day after Arab League peace monitors visited several flashpoint cities.
The government said the monitors "met a number of citizens" in the Damascus, Homs, Daraa and Hama regions.
About 60 observers are in the country to check the government＇s compliance with pledges to end the crackdown on dissent and release political detainees.
On Friday, Syria＇s ally Russia said it is "satisfied" with the initial results of the Arab League observer mission. The foreign ministry said in a statement that the situation in the restive city of Homs "seems to be reassuring," based on initial observer reports.
Syria pulled some of its tanks from Homs and released about 800 prisoners. But opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun said the government continues to hold more than 100,000 people, "some of them in military barracks and aboard ships off the Syrian coast."
Syrian authorities agreed to the observers under international pressure and threats of Arab sanctions. The plan requires the government to give the monitors freedom of movement except for sensitive military sites.
The United Nations estimates 5,000 people have been killed since March in violence linked to Syria＇s unrest. Syria says armed terrorists are driving the revolt. It accuses them of killing 2,000 security personnel since March.
Pro-Syrian regime protesters in the flashpoint city of Homs in central Syria, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011
Meanwhile, pro-Syrian government protesters chanted slogans and held pictures of Assad in the flashpoint city of Homs in central Syria, Thursday. |
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